Tuesday, April 24, 2018
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if you follow me on twitter "i'll tweet about once a day — rather short in words, but long in thought": @oneminutepundit
if you follow me on twitter "i'll tweet about once a day — rather short in words, but long in thought": @oneminutepundit
Like many issues involving technology, security, and consumer convenience, this issue has two reasonable sounding sides.
The "Yes" side of this issue asserts that the Federal Communications Commission is on their side since the FCC has proposed that passengers be permitted to use their mobile communication devices including cellphones while flying above 10,000 feet. Those in favor of this proposal say that cellphone calls in flight don't compromise aviation safety. They also cite the positive experience of foreign airlines, which have allowed the use of cellphones in flight. They say that this experience indicates that inflight calls tend to be rather short and nonintrusive. A source says that 80% of inflight callers do not use voice at all, according to the governments of Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Ireland and Australia. The brevity of these calls become understandable when the cost of the calls is considered - something like $3 to $4 per minute.
The "No" side of this issue is very much concerned about passengers being forced to hear the one-sided phone conversations in the same fashion that people on the ground are subjected to when lining up at checkout counters or riding a bus or train or lining up to get aboard a plane. The international president of the Association of Flight Attendants objects to the proposal because she believes it has the potential to create a significant safety risk for flight attendants and passengers. She says that today's airline travel experience often involves oversold flights, long lines, and stress from nerve-wracking security procedures and flight delays. Allowing cellphone calls in flight is likely to result in conflicts between passengers over cellphone use that could degenerate into full-blown loss of temper. She says that flight attendants could be caught in the middle of these conflicts, which could easily escalate, and lead to the need to return to the gate to remove an "unruly" passenger, wrecking the travel plans of everyone on the flight. Another solid sounding argument against the FCC proposal to allow inflight cellphone calls is the fact that the majority of airline travelers are against it. An Associated Press poll indicates that 78% of frequent flyers support the current ban on inflight phone calls.
Are you in favor allowing inflight cellphone calls or against it? Either way, you should tell the FCC what you think.